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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

First posting: Swan brothers, Black Watch


bigduke

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hello all,

It has been some time since I visited this site and would like to thank all the contributors to my post and a special hello to jubev and davieswan58. So, Davie.Was Dave Swan your great grandad ?

I have a great picture here of Pete and George taken at Kinghorn camp but I'm unsure of the date.

Pete is on the front left motorbike and George is on the front right.

post-45015-0-83787200-1385916181_thumb.j

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  • 1 year later...
Guest Davieswan58

Hi Bigduke

Sorry for taking so long to get back into the forum but been recovering from an accident at work in Sept 2013.

Anyhow here goes.

Dave was my great Uncle and was my grandfathers brother.Grandfather was James Swan also known as Wee Devine in his heyday as a champion cyclist.He lived up the High St in Lochgelly where most of the family still live.(Lochgelly that is)

I put a small wooden cross on great grandfathers grave(George Swan) in Lochgelly Cemetry with Peter and Georges names on it.(Just seemed the right thing to do instead of the memorial)

I did not realise that we the family have more relatives than we thought which is just fantastic..

My wife and I visited Georges grave over in France and its an experience that all decendants of those who did not return home should try and make, as it opens your eyes to the sacrifice made of the fallen. Have a photo somewhere when we were there so will seek it out and hope to post soon.

Regards

Dave

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  • 6 years later...

Good afternoon Bigduke and all others.

 

I whilst researching my family history i came across the forum and believe i an related to Bigduke. Peter and George Swan were the children of George and and Elizabeth Swan (nee Devine). Their father George Swan was the younger brother of James Swam who was my great-grandfather.

 

All the best

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  • Admin

Welcome to the forum, @bigduke hasn’t visited the forum since 2013, and Davieswan and jubev are no longer members here as denoted by guest. 

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Just now, Michelle Young said:

Welcome to the forum, @bigduke hasn’t visited the forum since 2013, and Davieswan and jubev are no longer members here as denoted by guest. 

Many thanks.

 

Andrew

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  • 10 months later...

I am back as a member and I am still researching my family tree on my grandad George swan's side. 

Thank you to everyone for their posts they are very interesting. Where is everyone living. I am in Clackmannanshire 

 

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On 05/11/2021 at 13:49, matrixx said:

whilst researching my family history i came across the forum and believe i an related to Bigduke. Peter and George Swan were the children of George and and Elizabeth Swan (nee Devine). Their father George Swan was the younger brother of James Swam who was my great-grandfather.

1 hour ago, Jubev said:

I am still researching my family tree on my grandad George swan's side. 

Several pension cards for both of the SWAN lads kin

This is probably an interesting one for George SWAN, 204, BW/RH - a pension allowance made for his child it would seem [the guardian's relationship. if any, isn't clear to me - Isabella GATHERUM - commonly, but not always, guardian refers to the mother of the child]

image.png.49fc8500f147c083db6418fe08a0629e.png

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

And yet there is also one for his widow, Elizabeth Wilson SWAN, who got an enhanced APW/Alternative Pension Widow's for herself and two children [Typically at this rank equalling half of his pre-war income - would have had to be proved]

image.png.db54760ba7ab7fc18a5106d9753e4d07.png

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

I hope of interest/value.

M

Edited by Matlock1418
addit
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Peter SWAN, 20164, MGC

Here's a pension card for him

image.png.879f97f6d4531109c90d31144a349e85.png

Image thanks to WFA

9.10.91 DoB is widow's

SA [Separation Allowances] paid for c.six months whilst pension was worked out

50F was a form used to switch from SA to pension

DEAD, 1931 means the claim was dead/ceased

Daughter, Margaret Baldie, appears likely to have to made it to 16 when her allowance would stop in 1931 [I hope she did make it].

Widow's claim, Chrissie, seems to have also stopped claiming by 1931 - either died, remarried or just stopped claiming [rather unlikely/uncommonly the last!]

£5 Grant was for funeral/mouning expenses - commonly resulted in a local newspaper entry, so potentially in later 1917 [perhaps with a photo ???]

M

Edited by Matlock1418
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Aw thank you so much. Your time to reply and post these  very much appreciated. 

I shall show my aunt Ann the last surviving Swan by birth on my side she will be forever grateful too. X

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Hi mattrixx

My uncle George Swan my mother Elizabeth Swan's brother  moved to Hyde Manchester late 60s early 70s and stayed their for the rest of his life. He had 2 children Andrew and Michelle possibly now around 40 years of age 

I was born in Dunfermline and lived in Kelty Fife till 1980. After moving around several places in Scotland I settled in Clackmannanshire in 2014.

Yes I believe there are quite a few  Swans dotted around the Lochgelly area and beyond

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Hi Jubev,

Very interesting but with so many Georges, very confusing. I have a fairly eaxtensive family tree but no record of and children to George Swan who died in WW1 other than he was married to Elizabeth Swan (nee Devine) and they had one child named John!!! They must have had more because the second Pension record posted by Matlock 1418 refers to two children.

 

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A little digging later!! The first pension card refers to Isabelle Gatherum receiving a pension. Thbis was for an illegitimate child that George Swan had with Janet Gatherum in 1907. The birth certificate shows the name of George Swan as rhe father but the name was crossed out.

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6 hours ago, matrixx said:

A little digging later!! The first pension card refers to Isabelle Gatherum receiving a pension. Thbis was for an illegitimate child that George Swan had with Janet Gatherum in 1907. The birth certificate shows the name of George Swan as rhe father but the name was crossed out.

:) Glad you took up the baton. 

19 minutes ago, Jubev said:

Oh 😱 I do love scandal in history. I did not know this. Thank you. X

:)  History, especially family history, is great!

M

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LANCE-CORPORAL GEORGE SWAN 204 Born in the Parish of Auchterderran, Fifeshire, the son of George and Elizabeth (Devine) Swan. Joined the The Black Watch Territorials at Lochgelly prior to the Great War. Served in France with B Company, 1/7th (Fife) Battalion (TF) in the 153rd Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. During the Somme fighting of 1916, where he served in the ranks as a stretcher bearer, he was struck by a fragment of shell and died on the 21st March of his wounds. He was 32 years of age and left a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth (Wilson) Swan of Little House, Old Brickwork, Lochgelly, Fifeshire. Buried in the Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France; Plot 1, Row Am Grave 5 and commemorated on the Lochgelly War Memorial.

Cut and pasted from : 'Floo’ers o’ the Forest: Fallen Pipers of the Great War' by Crawford.

He is also mentioned in 'The Pipes of War' by Seton & Grant.  Additional mention of him as an awardee of the Military Medal.  However, this publication has him 'killed in Dec 1916'. 

 

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Thank you for this post about the medals yes I believe my Great grandad was awarded 3 medals. 

I appreciate the time everyone spends posting and researching on my ancestors. 

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  • 10 months later...
On 30/09/2022 at 18:17, Jubev said:

Top photo george swan and below his brother Peter. 

Screenshot_20210328-025357_Samsung Internet~2.jpg

Screenshot_20210328-025549_Samsung Internet~2.jpg

 

4 minutes ago, Davieswan58 said:

 

Hi Everyone.

Nice to be back for the moment as I've found a photo of the Swan family 1904 in with my late brothers photo album collection. The photo must be the same one as Jubev has. From back left- Dave Swan 22 Nov 1887 - 25 June 1953=  Grandfather James Swan 30 Dec 1885- 18 July 1985 = Michael Swan  1884- 18 nov 1943 =Peter Swan 7th April 1890- 22 sept 1917 mid row=  Great Grandfather George Swan 13 april1861- 27 Dec 1917= George Swan 4 July 1882- 21 march 1916 =John Swan 21 Feb 1892- 7 Feb e1936= Elizabeth Devine Swan 2 June 1861- 11 Dec 1939= Henry Devine Swan 15 Aug1902- 16 April 1986= Front row- Margaret Swan 12 April 1896 - Unknown= Georgina Swan 16 Aug 1898- 8 June 1978= Thomas Swan 24 Dec 1900- 5 Nov 1957 = No date for child on Elizabeth Devine Swans knee= Elizabeth Swan 28 Feb 1894- 26 May 1986. Great grandfather George , sons Henry , Dave and my grandfather James are all  interred in Lochgelly Cemetery.image.png.d50da3cb62caeade6ad664c0e2d9ab79.png

 

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